Jones’ ambitions go much further for Wales, which has set a 70% renewable energy target by 2030. He discussed the energy challenges facing the devolved UK nation with Christopher Hopson.

To what extent do you think renewables in Wales are getting a raw deal, compared to the support given to offshore wind under the contracts-for-difference process. Have you approached UK energy secretary Greg Clark or other ministers about this problem?

We have an incredible marine resource with tidal energy in Wales, which we want to see developed. So we continue to lobby hard for the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon and there is no reason for that not to proceed. There has been an independent review, carried out by former energy minister Charles Hendry, which recommended the project should proceed, so the delay is just prevarication.

I think it’s important [London officials] understand that sometimes you have to consider projects over a much longer period of time than they are used to thinking. The tidal projects we are looking at here have to be assessed over the whole of their life and not over the term of any particular government.

We have to get away from the short-term thinking that we are often prone to in the UK. Other countries plan what is needed in terms of their energy resources far more long-term, and we have to do the same.

Is there a worry about whether you are going to have the projects in place to reach your 70% renewables target by 2030?

In order to reach our new target we need to have the UK government on board with marine as we can’t do it all through wind power. Wind is an important part of the energy mix, but we need to develop different sources of energy.

In the Bristol Channel we have one of the most powerful tides in the world, which we need to harness. The technology is now mature, and we can create jobs in South Wales, and green energy for the future, helping us to reach those targets.

So I think in Wales we need to encourage as many different energy sources as possible in order to reach that target. It will predominantly be a mix of wind and tidal, but there is also some small-scale hydro-electric resource.

What future do you see for solar in Wales, given that there is a lack of subsidy for projects?

At the moment it’s difficult to see a future for solar due to the actions of the UK government. We regret that as we were once manufacturing solar panels in Wales.

Welsh government sets 70% RE target for 2030

But in general we want to see more resources made available for solar. The UK government at the moment understands what it doesn’t want, but has no idea what it does want. And that is bad news for energy producers, so we need some direction in London to match the direction we are taking in Wales.

The Institute of Welsh Affairs has suggested that you should lobby to devolve a range of powers over renewable energy subsidy setting to Wales. If all the available money is going to wind off the east coast of England, and none is going to Wales, how are you going to achieve your targets?

The issue is how do you devolve market issues to Wales in a single UK market. We are clearly not talking about a Welsh energy market. I am not sure we see any sense in that, and it would be an immensely big step for us to take. So while understanding the need to keep the UK energy market, we want to have as much influence and control as we can within that market.

We are net exporters of energy in Wales. We want to see a decent return off the back of that, but devolving energy policy is tricky, unless you start devolving it all, including the commercial side. That would, for example, make things like maintaining the national grid in Wales more difficult than at present.

Jones’ ambitions go much further for Wales, which has set a 70% renewable energy target by 2030. He discussed the energy challenges facing the devolved UK nation with Christopher Hopson.

To what extent do you think renewables in Wales are getting a raw deal, compared to the support given to offshore wind under the contracts-for-difference process. Have you approached UK energy secretary Greg Clark or other ministers about this problem?

We have an incredible marine resource with tidal energy in Wales, which we want to see developed. So we continue to lobby hard for the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon and there is no reason for that not to proceed. There has been an independent review, carried out by former energy minister Charles Hendry, which recommended the project should proceed, so the delay is just prevarication.

I think it’s important [London officials] understand that sometimes you have to consider projects over a much longer period of time than they are used to thinking. The tidal projects we are looking at here have to be assessed over the whole of their life and not over the term of any particular government.

We have to get away from the short-term thinking that we are often prone to in the UK. Other countries plan what is needed in terms of their energy resources far more long-term, and we have to do the same.

Is there a worry about whether you are going to have the projects in place to reach your 70% renewables target by 2030?

In order to reach our new target we need to have the UK government on board with marine as we can’t do it all through wind power. Wind is an important part of the energy mix, but we need to develop different sources of energy.

In the Bristol Channel we have one of the most powerful tides in the world, which we need to harness. The technology is now mature, and we can create jobs in South Wales, and green energy for the future, helping us to reach those targets.

So I think in Wales we need to encourage as many different energy sources as possible in order to reach that target. It will predominantly be a mix of wind and tidal, but there is also some small-scale hydro-electric resource.

What future do you see for solar in Wales, given that there is a lack of subsidy for projects?

At the moment it’s difficult to see a future for solar due to the actions of the UK government. We regret that as we were once manufacturing solar panels in Wales.

Welsh government sets 70% RE target for 2030

But in general we want to see more resources made available for solar. The UK government at the moment understands what it doesn’t want, but has no idea what it does want. And that is bad news for energy producers, so we need some direction in London to match the direction we are taking in Wales.

The Institute of Welsh Affairs has suggested that you should lobby to devolve a range of powers over renewable energy subsidy setting to Wales. If all the available money is going to wind off the east coast of England, and none is going to Wales, how are you going to achieve your targets?

The issue is how do you devolve market issues to Wales in a single UK market. We are clearly not talking about a Welsh energy market. I am not sure we see any sense in that, and it would be an immensely big step for us to take. So while understanding the need to keep the UK energy market, we want to have as much influence and control as we can within that market.

We are net exporters of energy in Wales. We want to see a decent return off the back of that, but devolving energy policy is tricky, unless you start devolving it all, including the commercial side. That would, for example, make things like maintaining the national grid in Wales more difficult than at present.